Two-wheelers and bicycles: Comparing mobility, meaningful activities and well-being among urban-dwelling older adults in Bengaluru and the Northern Netherlands

Mobility, or everyday movement, is an integral part of ageing well. Situated in theoretical frameworks around the capability to be mobile, meaningful activities and subjective well-being, this article zooms in on the role of health and the urban context in everyday movement. This article aims to contrast and compare how urban-dwelling older adults in different health conditions use their capability to be mobile to engage in meaningful activities that contribute to their experienced well-being in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area and the Northern Netherlands. We draw on a qualitative study, combining activity diaries and in-depth interviews, collected among 18 older adults in the Northern Netherlands and 22 in Bengaluru. The findings show that in both contexts, engaging in independent mobility can contribute to engagement in meaningful activities and well-being, with a particularly important role for two-wheelers and bicycles. Specifically, we found that older adults can stay well, even when their health declines; that they are able to maintain their mobility in creative ways, in light of both individual and environmental challenges; and that they adapt both their capability to be mobile and to engage in meaningful activities. In conclusion, age-friendly environments should support the capability to move independently in later life.